Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Valentines Day concert

A group of Symphonia players rehearsing under their conductor, Justus Rozemond. Photo: Supplied.

Bay of Plenty Symphonia is performing a special summer concert in Rotorua on Valentine's Day this weekend.

A chamber group of the orchestra's string players will present Vivaldi's ever popular ‘Four Seasons' - and more - at the Harvest Centre, Malfroy Road on Sunday February 14.

The community orchestra has players from around the Bay of Plenty, including a good number from Rotorua, who think nothing of travelling to Tauranga almost every week for rehearsals and concerts.

'Being able to perform in our own town is very special for us,” says viola player Anne Jaquiery.

'We do have regular audience from Rotorua and we are delighted that this time family, friends and supporters will be able to enjoy the concert without needing to travel!”

The concert will feature two of New Zealand's top soloists.

Centre stage is the virtuoso violinist Andrew Beer, known to many as the long time concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia.

Andrew invited the orchestra to accompany him in Vivaldi's concertos, with the additional draw card of incorporating ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires', a lesser known work by the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.

Having performed some of Piazzolla's fabulous tango-inspired pieces a few years ago in their ‘Taiko to Tango' concert, the Symphonia players were keen to join with Andrew and his colleague, top cellist Ashley Brown, in this special project.

In the concert, Piazzolla's South American ‘Seasons' are interspersed with Vivaldi's, including numerous cross-references to the famous concertos, and building in the joke of inverted seasons between the hemispheres.

With two fantastic soloists alongside guest harpsichordist Chalium Poppy and conductor Justus Rozemond, this is a seasonal event not to be missed.

The Valentine's Day concert ‘Four Seasons' will be held at 3pm on Sunday February 14, at Harvest Centre, Malfroy Rd, Rotorua. Tickets $20 adult, $5 under 18 - via Eventfinda and i-SITE. Booking fees apply. Door sales are cash only.

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